To prep for Boston Calling, which runs this Friday, Satuday and Sunday, we’re running artist-by-artist previews on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Capice? Capice.
Day 2: Saturday, Day of the Wow There’s a Lot More Bands Today
MAGIC MAN
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
1:00 PM
WHERE:
Red Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Synths
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
That one time I went to a magic show in Las Vegas and the dude just straight up TELEPORTED to the chandelier above everybody. Lance Burton, wherever you are, you’re my hero still.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via the band’s Facebook:
“Word to your mothers”
Every inch of their websites is dedicated to promoting their new album, so I had to scrounge this time. But as far as Facebook posts go, I like this one. It’s posts like these that remind all too many that Mother’s Day is upon them, and you should call them.
THOUGHTS:
These local yokels appear to have ripped Matt and Kim’s last album “Lightening” off of some pavement and joy-rided it back up to Boston, and I’m stoked about it. I’m feeling much better about these guys as a festival opening act than Cass McCombs of Friday (no knock against Cass, I’d just wager more money that I’ll be hearing more enthusiasm from people ’round the fest because they’re, well, louder). I predict they’ll have a bigger crowd, but not by much.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
Saturday crowd achieves an unprecedented “turnt up” level of 4; a bird craps on one of the musicians; it’s a sunny day to start.
MAXIMO PARK
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
1:35 PM
WHERE:
Blue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Alternative rock
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
Can umlauts go over “I”s?
Quick googling
Yes! Yes, they can!
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
This video. Is this woman skating or walking extremely smoothly? Is he a green screen? Is SHE a green screen? Is life a greenscreen?
THOUGHTS:
Scheduling what a “comedown” act at a festival can’t be the easiest thing to tackle for promoters. Maximo Park, by my brief YouTube/Grooveshark scouring, appears to be an interesting English alt import with incredible variances in music video attitude and quality (seriously, watch that vid above first, and then the one below. You won’t believe it). Hopefully they’ll be consistent in their live show, and entertaining. Challenge flag: thrown.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
Umlaut questions everywhere; the weather is still nice, but growing ominous, one of the band members forgets to bring water onstage and has to ask for it.
WALK OFF THE EARTH
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
2:10 PM
WHERE:
Red Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Covers. Err, indie pop.
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
Covers. So. Many. Covers.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Wikipedia:
“R.E.V.O. is an acronym for the band’s motto, Realize Every Victory Outright.”
The inner rebel in me is now going to internalize every lifelong victory and never mention it to anyone.
THOUGHTS:
The first real “ho-hey” chanting band since good ol’ Ed Sharpe on Friday, these guys have a surprisingly fanatical following. A successful BC appearance will need that following to show in force, but I expect that to happen more than others. A band originally built on the strength of covers usually doesn’t get as far as these guys have done, but R.E.V.O. is a catchy as hell album regardless. These guys have the studio chops and the alleged live support. Let’s see how they do here.
Also, that’s not how you use a guitar, guys. But you look like you’re doing fine, so I’ll let it go.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
Last song is “Somebody That I Used To Know” to the delight of everyone; Gotye himself (themselves?) appear onstage in a battle royale for the ages; one of the musicians takes an obscenely long time getting his/her equipment offstage in time for Warpaint.
WARPAINT
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
3:00 PM
WHERE:
Blue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Indie rock
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
Motherfucking Calvin Klein (single “Love Is to Die” scored one of their TV ads last year) and how underwear models should be able to choose their commercial music like baseball players do for at-bats. The world could use more Nelly everywhere.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via BBC.com:
“The Los Angeles group formed in 2004 when Oregon school friends Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman met sisters Jenny Lee Lindberg and Shannyn Sossamon in an LA club.”
This marks the latest entry in my list of positive results of meeting in an LA club. It’s also the only entry.
THOUGHTS:
This groups’s well-regarded live show is a welcome change in pace from the puppy dogs and rainbows of Walk Off The Earth. I wish this was at sunset, because this seems like a rad sunset-y band. Let’s get some attitude into this show, he said to himself. Expectations: higher than Walk Off The Earth, but lower than Frank Turner. More challenge flags.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
“Are you still here, Boston?” narrowly beats out “Thanks for having us, Boston” in the final talley; I buy a Warpaint t-shirt; I lose the Warpaint t-shirt.
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
3:50 PM
WHERE:
Red Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Indie rock, I guess
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
Misspellings, the English language, rad hairdos.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Wikipedia:
“The Neighbourhood (sometimes stylized as “THE NBHD”)
I didn’t think it was possible for someone to screw up the no-vowels-all-caps thing (see GRMLN, TRMRS, STRFKR etc), but they did. That is an eyesore.
THOUGHTS:
We’re in full-on “stand n’ sway” fest territory now, people. It remains to be seen if the sound system will compensate, but The Neighbourhood seem like they’re gonna call forth the same stare-at-the-ground-and-look-around-like-once-in-two-hours dancing that myself and fellow twentysomethings do instead of dancing. And I’m grateful for that. Let’s get shoe-zy.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
Despite the above paragraph, an unforseen mosh pit erupts at the 12-minute mark; only the lead vocalist’s mic will be loud enough.
JENNY LEWIS
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
4:55 PM
WHERE:
Blue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Singer-songwriter
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
Brooks and streams: do they actually form rivers? More at 11.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Wikipedia:
“In an interview with NPR‘s All Songs Considered, Lewis remarked that she wanted to name the group Love’s Way (after her parents’ lounge act in Las Vegas).”
If my parents had a lounge act in Las Vegas, I would have changed my last name by the age of eight. Props to Jenny.
THOUGHTS:
The former Rilo Kiley singer can sing with the best of ’em, that much is clear from a hyper-quick overview of her available Grooveshark discography. I never use the word “lilting” correctly, but she’s like, well, that. Like before, “comedown” acts are always risky, but I have a gut feeling that Lewis will keep everyone from going to the bathroom for awhile. High expectations, Jen-Jen.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
I never, ever call this woman “Jen-Jen” again; someone in the crowd does; I laugh for no reason; they glare at me; nobody goes to the bathroom, ever.
FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
6:00 PM
WHERE:
Red Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Folk punk
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
A million fists pumping into a million high fives resulting in a million laugh-offs and reconciled handshakes.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Wikipedia:
“Turner states that ‘when Million Dead finished, I wanted to stay on tour, but I didn’t want the hassle of putting a band together.’”
Dude, same.
THOUGHTS:
Frank Turner was once described to me as, “The Dropkick Murphys, but not Irish, and no guilt attached.” So that’s pretty sweet.
In some seriousness, I’m really, really excited to see what this guy’s got. By all accounts he brings the pedal to the proverbial metal every show, with acoustic guitars in lieu of actual metal. Not much more to say, but I’m stoked.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
Everyone, yes, EVERYONE gets their hands in the air; HAND CLAPS ON HAND CLAPS; Mr. Turner’s sweat becomes one with the spontaneous downpour that’s bound to happen during his set; he gets the biggest crowd of the weekend so far.
THE HEAD & THE HEART
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
7:05 PM
WHERE:
Blue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Indie folk
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
Dr. Dog, and assorted bands with pianos who never fail to disappoint me by NOT dragging a two-ton grand piano with them on cross-country tours. The nerve, I tell ya.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Wikipedia:
“Self-burned copies of The Head and the Heart in handmade denim sleeves were being sold at shows within a few weeks.”
And I can’t even sew a button onto a dress shirt without mangling myself. Fuck these guys and their creativity.
THOUGHTS:
A folk outfit with a big following isn’t going to need too much thought on my end; I have the same opinion of these guys going in as I do of Mumford, The Avett Brothers, Jack Johnson, etc. The way they can win me over on studio recordings is if their live show is so good as to bring back memories as I listen to them afterwards (something that The Avett Brothers are reportedly extremely good at). Fleet Foxes did that for me, Shakey Graves did solely through YouTube videos, and I predict Cass McCombs and Jenny Lewis will be there. The Head & The Heart? Well, all I can say is….damn it, I’m out of challenge flags. Just bring it, dudes.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
A mass sit-down actually works this time; the weather transitions to a soft rain, the band has more than 2 unused instruments, but less than 5 onstage at any given time; the number of mass singalongs will be over 6.
THE DECEMBERISTS
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
8:10 PM
WHERE:
Red Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Indie folk
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
My sister’s iPod, my iPod, Civil War reenactments.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Wikipedia:
“The feud [with Steven Colbert] culminated in a December 20 guitar solo competition on Colbert’s show, with lead guitarist Funk representing the band. After Colbert feigned a hand injury, Peter Frampton took over for Colbert and won an audience vote.”
As far as backup in a fight (much less a guitar competition), you could do much worse than Peter Frampton. Slick job, Colbert.
THOUGHTS:
I’ve had this band’s live show described to me in the same tones as Frank Turner’s; a unique and fucking awesome experience. I trust my sources, and you should too. I’m also conceding that this fest as a whole has qualified as “extremely folky” by members of the Allston Pudding Boston Calling Press Crew (read: me). The Decemberists’ energy will set them apart from The Head & The Heart, and remind everyone that didn’t blow calf muscles from Frank Turner that there’s more to come. Highly anticipated.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
Jumping; more jumping; first bout of audience participation happens two songs in; the rain stops, but the band begs for it to come again, people in the front row see Death Cab For Cutie watching from backstage and go apeshit.
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
9:30 PM
WHERE:
Blue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Alternative rock
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
As I Lay Dying, My Chemical Romance, and other band name associations that make no sense whatsoever but I still can’t stop myself.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Wikipedia:
“Walla added that [then-upcoming album Narrow Stairs] was ‘louder and more dissonant and … abrasive.'”
That hesitation before “abrasive” scares me. I picture him pausing, then whispering “abrasive” and not breaking eye contact with the interviewer, who slowly backs away. As a gun cocks behind him, we cut to black. “Executive Producer: Dick Wolfe” appears on the screen.
THOUGHTS:
I come to this band as a brand-new listener, but with an appreciation of their fanbase and accomplishments. Death Cab has, by all accounts, a tremendous following and they’ve gone from a low-fi “Is it emo? Is it not?” ethos to a confident and extremely accomplished outfit in the 17 years they’ve been together. Whether or not this will make for a complacent, or truly excellent closing act remains to be seen on my part. However, with how people are excited about these guys, my journalistic impartiality is going to be seriously at risk.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
Three encores; rain in the last two encores but not the first; four setlists thrown out into the crowd by the end; too many people making out; mass porta-potty failure.
Can’t get enough Boston Calling? Didn’t snag a ticket in time? Be sure to keep an eye on the September fest , featuring The National, Lorde, Nas, The Replacements, and many more.